You Don't Have To Say Goodbye
by lovingcaptainswan
Summary: Set Post Neverland. Emma pays Hook a visit while he is preparing to leave Storybrooke for good. She has to say thank you before it's too late. Captain Swan Two-Shot
1. Chapter 1

**_A/n: Omg, this fic gave me so many angsty feels to write! I hope you all enjoy it! Btw, I have a poll up for new CS fic ideas and I'd love you to stop by my profile and vote!_**

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_Things are changing,  
It seems strange and I need to figure this out,  
You've got your life, I got mine  
But you're all I cared about,  
Yesterday we were laughing,  
Today I'm left here asking,  
Where has all the time gone now?  
I'm left alone somehow,  
Growing up and getting older,  
I don't want to believe it's over._

_Say Goodbye - Skillet_

Emma ever so softly stroked Henry's hair away from his forehead, gazing at her son's peaceful face as he slept. _He was home_. After a Neverland adventure that had nearly added a year to her life, he was finally back in Storybrooke, with her, where he was meant to be.

"Mom?"

"Hey," She couldn't help the smile and happy tears that sprang to her eyes when she saw Henry's flutter open sleepily. They had been back in Storybrooke for hours now, but everytime she saw him, she had a hard time controlling herself. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to wake you up."

He beamed back at her, his expression filled with awe and admiration. "You saved me. You _really _saved me, after all that time…"

"_Of course I saved you_," she whispered emphatically, swallowing hard to keep the tears back as she continued to stroke his hair. "I will _never_ not save you, Henry," she promised.

"Hook saved me too, didn't he?" The boy scrunched his nose in confusion, as if having trouble remembering exactly what had happened in the few eventful days before.

"Yeah," she nodded, smiling again. "I guess he did."

"Is he ok?"

"He's fine, kid. Go back to bed, ok?"

"It's the middle of the day," he protested, beginning to sit up.

"And you've only had a few hours of sleep in the last week," she countered in a firm, mommy-tone that she hadn't realized that she possessed. "Bed."

Henry rolled his eyes and grinned, lying back in bed and pulling the covers around him. "You know… I missed having a mom."

Emma could barely blink away the tears this time, and she choked back what felt like a bowling ball in her throat. "I missed you too, Henry. I'll be here when you wake up, ok?"

"You promise?"

"I promise."

**~ASMG~**

"What do you _mean_ he's not here? You're his doctor!" Emma snapped, her eyes narrowing at an intimidated Dr. Whale.

"He left by himself over an hour ago, Emma. I couldn't exactly force him to stay."

"Is he well enough to _do_ that?"

"His wounds were deep, but they're stitched and he's on antibiotics. I expect him to make a full recovery as long as he doesn't go looking for any more trouble."

Without replying, Emma turned away from the doctor, striding towards the door with purpose. She knew exactly where he was.

**~ASMG~**

Emma could hear Hook before she saw him. A low, lilting humming mixed with the occasional few, indistinguishable words of song rose from the ship's deck as she slowly climbed the now-familiar stairs of the Jolly Roger. The soothing and sad quality to his tone took her by surprise. She had never heard him sing. He was actually good.

She took the last few steps, watching him lovingly dusting odds and ends of the ship's deck. His hand caressed a large, jagged chip in the wood - a magic-inflicted war wound she had suffered only days before while still in Neverland.

Hook stopped his humming and swung his body around, his hand moving to his sheathed sword on his hip as soon as he heard her soft footsteps behind him. "Gods… Emma," he breathed out a sigh of relief, then groaned quietly and moved his hand to his right side. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing? Looking for you. Why aren't you in the hospital?"

"I've suffered worse wounds than these, love," he smirked lightly. "Besides, I can't abide that place." He shook his head, disgusted, and went back to inspecting the deck.

Emma walked towards him and gently un-tucked the tails of his shirt, lifting it carefully to reveal a nasty-looking, stitched red gash that extended from his hip and curved in to reach the bottom of his ribs. "That looks like it hurts. How's your leg?"

"Just as lovely. Why? Worried about me?" His expression and tone weren't as cocky or playful as usual, but instead had a hint of melancholy in them.

"You really should be at the hospital," she said in a warning tone, placing a hand on her hip in a typical 'annoyed Emma' stance.

"I'm not going back, lass, so you can stop trying now. Regardless, I'll be gone before long."

Emma shook her head at his stubborness, subconsciously biting her lip. "So you're just leaving?"

"I would have left a year ago if it wasn't for the little lad," he reminded her gently. "I've got my world and you've got yours, love. My work in this one is done."

"Just stay until you're better," she repeated, irritated.

"Now I _know_ you're worried about me," he smiled, tipping his head at her. Curiosity played in his blue eyes as he searched her face for clues on what she was thinking.

"I'm not worried," she denied hotly, "I'm in debt… You helped me save Henry." Her voice broke on the last word. "I won't…_ever_ be able to thank you enough for that, Hook."

He shrugged off her praise. "So I'm back to Hook now? I remember a night I was just 'Killian'."

His solemn, piercing eyes seemed to burn holes into her soul, and Emma had to look away to keep from imagining their night on the beach, a mere day before they had finally gotten Henry back. It had only been a week ago, but it felt like forever since they had been in that sand together. He could have told her that it had been years since she had felt his bare skin flush against her skin, lips kissing hers in a slow, passionate dance and she would believe it.

So much had happened since then, so much had changed.

"Yeah, well, that was in Neverland," Emma muttered, still refusing to meet his stare.

"Is that to say it should have never happened?"

Emma hesitated, unwilling to have this conversation now, but unable to stop. "I was-I was at the end of my rope. I didn't know if we'd ever find him. I needed…_something_, Killian… I needed something real." Tears glistened in her eyes and Hook looked as if he wanted to gather her in his arms and hold her.

"Well, you've got your boy back now, love," he said quietly.

She nodded. "Thank you. _Really_, thank you, Killian." Hook shrugged off her praise, turning his back to her and running his hand along the smooth mast of the boat. "So when are you leaving?"

"The morning, if the winds are favorable," he said, peering out at the sea behind them.

"Aren't you flying, not sailing?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"All the more reason for the winds to be favorable, love," he teased lightly, sneaking a look back at her.

"You don't have to leave, you know. This is home."

"Your home, maybe. _This_ is my home, Emma," he replied, patting the mast where his hand still sat. "It has been for over three centuries now. It doesn't matter where she takes me." He paused for a moment. "I suppose… You could say goodbye… if you come by early enough," he added noncommittally.

Emma took a few tentative steps towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling him tense beneath her touch. "Killian…"

"It's best not to drag this out, Emma," he stated, an edge beginning to form in his tone. "You know very well the only reason that you're asking me to stay is because you feel guilty that I was injured while rescuing your son."

"Ouch." She dropped her palm from his shoulder.

"I don't take it personally. It's just how Emma Swan is. Never form any attachments because everyone is going to hurt you. I get it, love."

There was a long moment of silence before Emma spoke again.

"I don't want to say goodbye."

"You don't_ have_ to say goodbye, Emma." Something about his tone made her suspicious that his words may have had a double meaning.

"…I'll be here in the morning," she answered finally. "On one condition-" Hook raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue. "You take the meds I bring you from Whale."

He smiled and shook his head again at her tenacity. "I suppose I can't say no… if it means I would gain your audience, one last time. Until the morning, love?"

She pursed her lips and nodded, forcing out a small smile. "See you in the morning, Hook."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Don't say goodbye  
Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight  
Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I  
And although we knew  
This time would come for me and you  
Don't say anything tonight  
If you're gonna say goodbye _

_Say Goodbye – Skillet_

_"Emma, dammit, slow down!" Hook shouted, frustrated, as he tromped behind her along the shore, finding it difficult to keep up with her determined pace. "It's getting dark and we're miles from the ship."_

_"We still don't have enough food. I'm not going back until we do."_

_"Bloody hell, Emma, don't you listen to a word I tell you? Do you realize how many creatures there are out here that would love to kill us? We have enough for the night. We'll be back to it in the morning." _

_"And lose out on more time looking for Henry?" _

_"Emma…" Hook stopped in his tracks, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Emma, it's been almost a year of this. A few more hours won't-"_

_"Don't!" She whirled around to face him, her expression full of anger and defiance. "Just don't. Every minute counts, Hook. Every second that I'm not looking for him is a second I could have found him, so don't you dare tell me it doesn't matter. I'm staying until we get enough food for a few days, same as every other week. Go back if you want to," she waved him off and turned back around, scanning the edge of the Neverland jungles for fallen edible fruit and plants as she had been doing for the last 10 months straight. _

_"You crazy wench," he snapped through gritted teeth, picking up the bag of food they had already gathered and storming ahead to catch up with her. "Emma, I swear to god, if you get any closer to that jungle-"_

_"You know what, Hook? Just let me get eaten, ok?" She was cut off by Hook grabbing her arm harshly and yanking her back. "Let me go." _

_"No," he growled, pulling her now-too-thin frame closer. His voice and expression softened. "Emma, I'm worried about you, love."_

_She stared at him for a long moment, her confused expression unwavering, until she shook her head, slowly pulling her arm from his grasp. "You don't have to be."_

_"Just stop!" His voice thundered, all of its prior worry and frustration coming back. "Dammit, Emma, you have to stop this. You have to stop killing yourself over not finding the boy. Just look at yourself! You're half dead as it is, lass, and it's not because we don't have enough food."_

_"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine?" _

_"You're not. And you're not helping your boy by committing a slow suicide."_

_"You're not helping me by having this conversation right now," she seethed._

_"Bloody hell, Swan, you should know by now I'd follow you across worlds and back to help you find your boy, but there's only so much! We're doing the best that we can to find him-"_

_"No, we're not," her voice broke, and the look on her face nearly broke Hook's heart. _

_"Love…"_

_"If I was doing enough, I would have found him already." She was nearly crying in frustration at this point, turning red from the emotion and the tears that were threatening to spill over. "There has to be more…"_

_"There isn't!"_

_Emma's lip trembled for an excruciatingly long moment before she let out a wracking sob and fell into his chest. No more thoughts of being strong clouded her mind, only pain and frustration. Hook didn't hesitate in wrapping her in his arms and subconsciously brushed his lips against the top of her head at the same time, startled by her reaction, but not surprised that she had finally broken down. _

_"Shh, shh," he whispered, stroking her hair and holding her even tighter against his chest. "It'll be alright, love." _

_They stayed like that for what felt like forever, his arms wrapped around her protectively, making her feel safe and warm for the first time since she'd left Storybrooke. Finally, Emma slowly raised her head, looking at him with a mixture of pain and awe. _

_"How do you keep this up?"_

_"I've had three centuries practice of looking for something I'd once lost, Emma."_

_She brushed his stubbly cheek with her fingertips, and then leaned in to kiss him…_

The next morning, long before the sun rose, Emma drove towards the docks. Sitting in the passenger seat next to her was a small assortment of antibiotics, creams, and pain medication that she had collected from a reluctant Dr. Whale the day before, shortly after her visit to the Jolly Roger. When the outline of the ship came into view, she put on the brake and unbuckled her seatbelt, gathering up her supplies before exiting the vehicle.

Emma hesitated when she got to the steps. She had boarded the ship so many times during their stay in Neverland, it was an odd and unsettling feeling to think that this would be the last time. She pushed away the thought that it was even more strange to think that she would never see its captain again. She would never watch him striding across the decks, barking out orders when the weather got fierce, like the keeper of the vessel that he always had been. She remembered being impressed at the change between the joking, playful Hook she had known from the beanstalk and this powerful, confidant captain that stood before her.

Gripping the wooden rail tightly, she made her way onto the upper deck. It was bare and cold in the dark, looking abandoned, but the small, dim light coming from the lower level told her exactly where he was.

"You came?" The question in his tone gave away that he honestly hadn't expected to see her again as she walked through the door into his quarters.

"I said I would," she replied, then held up the grocery bag of medical provisions.

"A goodbye gift? Oh, love, you shouldn't have," he smirked playfully despite a vague sadness in his eyes, reaching for the bag. She pulled it back before he could take it and he winced, his hooked arm moving gently to his side where he had been wounded.

"Sit," she commanded, motioning to his bed. "Lay back."

He smiled at her bossiness, biting back an innuendo and obediently complied, groaning softly at the pain that shot through his body. His eyes followed her as she sat next to him gently, and carefully began to untuck his shirt tails the same way she had done yesterday. He hissed as the cloth scraped across the newly-inflamed stitches.

"God dammit, Hook," she muttered, surprised at the wound's condition. "Did it look like this yesterday?"

"Magic inflicted wounds have magical properties," he grit out. "It'll be fine. It'll just take longer to heal. This isn't my first go 'round with magic, Emma."

She shook her head, appearing angry with him for letting himself get hurt like that and refusing to meet his eyes. "Well, then you know that this is gonna hurt," she warned, pulling out a small bottle that she had gotten from the hospital. She sprayed a copious amount of disinfectant on the wound and Hook grunted, biting his lip hard in his struggle to mask his pain. "How's your leg?"

"It was just an ordinary sword, love," he assured her. "But… if you want to take off my pants to check I wouldn't object."

Emma rolled her eyes, relieved that the injury wasn't as serious and also that he sounded something like himself. She pulled out two pill bottles and held them in front of his face. "This one is antibiotics. It will help stop any infections. Take one twice a day. I'm serious, Killian, don't forget about these. This one is for pain. You can take one every four hours," she continued seriously.

"What did you just call me?"

"What?" She looked embarrassed and shoved the bottles back into the bag to avoid meeting his piercing gaze. "It's your name, isn't it?"

"All this time and you've only called me by that name once. While we were-"

"I remember," she snapped, slipping off of his cot and walking to the nightstand, putting the bag into the top drawer.

"-on the beach," he finished his sentence dryly, knowing she had expected a much more sexual end to the sentence. "Why does it upset you so much to talk about it?"

"I'm not angry."

"…Then it's pain?"

She froze momentarily, sighing and shaking her head. "It's not anything. You just have to let it go. I was feeling vulnerable and I made a mistake."

Hook expression was outright hurt at her callous description of the week old memory that had haunted him since it had happened. "So I took advantage of you? Is that what it was?" His eyes flashed with anger as he spoke. He groaned when he forced himself back into a sitting position, but he was entirely unconcerned with the pain in his side now.

"I was crying in your arms, Hook."

"And then y_ou_ kissed _me_, love. I recall trying to head back to the ship and you kissing me again. I might have still tried to take you back, but your hand being forced inside of my trousers was a bit of a distraction," he argued back, both vehement and sarcastic, shocking her into silence. "I know you've been hurt, Emma, but _I've_ never hurt you. Don't twist history to fit your skewed view of the present. I gave your son a year of my time because you needed help. _I'm_ not the one taking advantage."

"Oh, so it was just some huge inconvenience for you? You could have been out pillaging and plundering some other dimension, but unfortunately, you were stuck with us? It's not like I forced you to go. I asked for your help and you gave it. Let's not talk about rewriting history, Hook. Why do all that if you didn't want to?"

"I _wanted_ to help you get your boy back."

"Why? Why did you care?" She was now yelling at him, begging him for an explanation.

He stood up painfully, bracing himself against the nightstand. "Because you needed help, Emma, and I didn't want to leave the boy to that fate! I didn't know it would take a bloody year-"

"Then why didn't you leave?"

"I wasn't going to just give up!"

"Why not?" She shouted back defiantly, feeling herself becoming more and more upset with every verbal blow thrown between them.

"Because I love you!" Emma was once again, stunned into silence. "Can't you see it, Emma? At first it was easier to ignore, but after that night… Do you know how painful it is to be called Hook everyday after I've heard you whisper Killian into my ear?"

"I-I don't under-"

"Bloody fucking hell, you don't understand," he cursed angrily. "You don't want to. You're too afraid to feel that you don't even remember how, do you?"

She cut him off by grabbing his face and kissing him chastely, much like their first kiss had been. Their lips were pressed together hard without deepening it any further, her fingers trailing down the stubble on his cheeks. Emma could feel all of her frustration and anger dissolve away in that kiss, and she suddenly remembered what had led her to finally give in to her desires that night on the Neverland beach. Their lips parted from contact with the other as Emma drew back slowly, her hands still cupping his face. Their noses were almost touching, but she didn't move any further from him than was necessary to break the kiss.

"You don't have to go," she breathed, wanting to say more but unable to bring herself to admit anything more than that she wanted him to stay in Storybrooke. "Stay until you're better."

"Emma…"

"Just stay," she repeated in a pleading tone, looking into his blue eyes.

An agonizingly long pause passed before Hook let out a shaky sigh. "If I stay, what would that mean?"

"…I don't know," she replied sincerely. "I just know I don't want to worry about you out there."

He chuckled softly, resting his forehead against hers, their noses brushing. "Stay with me."

"What?"

"Just stay with me here, a bit," he elaborated, intertwining his fingers in hers and led her, limping, to his bed.

"Killian-"

"It's not that type of invitation, love," he smiled, gingerly scooting onto the far end of the bunk. "I just need to lie down. Keep an injured man company for a bit..."

She climbed up onto the small cot with him, draping a tentative arm over his chest, careful to avoid his wound as she curled up next to him. "Just until it's time for Henry to get up."

Hook didn't answer, but only pulled her into him closer, his lips brushing against her hair. It was almost fifteen minutes before either said a word, both content with the comfort of the position, both completely relaxing since they had returned from Neverland.

"…I'm thinking that I want to stay, love."

**The End**

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**A/n: I had a lot of fun writing this angsty one, since I've been writing a lot of fluff/humor lately. I love writing Hook getting angry with Emma and feelings coming out. I hope you all enjoyed it as well. 45 followers, wow! Thanks! This is it, so please let me know what you all thought of it. :D**


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